Submission

Submission

Do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Pet 3:15

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1 Peter 3:8-17

8Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 9Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 10For,
"Whoever would love life
and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil
and his lips from deceitful speech.
11He must turn from evil and do good;
he must seek peace and pursue it.
12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

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Karen sat until the end of the evening. Friends had arrived as they did every Sunday
evening, and they had spent their time with a simple study of Scripture,
in this case reviewing God’s hand in creation.

There had been a time of prayer and only then did Karen speak up and ask for some
personal advice regarding a dilemma she was facing. We all knew that in her youth,
she had been terribly abused in her remote childhood home. She had fought to
break free from the prison that her memories and wounds held for her. Now those
who had abused her were in need of support and help. What was Karen to do?

We listened to a reasonable approach that acknowledged the past, and also the
present, and the unwillingness of these people to accept any help or advice from
her. It was obvious that she wanted to help, but also that she was incapable of
helping due to the past breakdown in family relations.

The apostle Peter is not a young man when he pens these words; in fact,
these words are penned during some of the most difficult days for the Christian
church in Rome. From our standpoint we would shout, “Fight back!”

The advice is entirely opposed to society’s view of the appropriate response to
unfair treatment. It runs in the face of our own hearts. I doubt that anyone reading
this passage did not have some negative feeling toward what is being said.
My pastor shared a thought yesterday that helped me to understand the force
of this passage. He suggested that submission could be interpreted to mean, “the
courage to give up your rights to meet the needs of another.” Submission speaks
of being unselfish. As recorded in the passage read today, Jesus is the number
one example and He did ask us to follow Him, didn’t He?

The people of Israel were expecting victory with the coming of the Messiah.
They probably thought there would be marching armies and a wonderful new
political kingdom that would challenge the former glory of the kingdom
of Israel in the days of David and Solomon.

Jesus won a battle for the hearts of people. It was a lasting victory and stretched
well beyond geographical boundaries. This battle for the hearts of people is still
going on today. As followers of Jesus, we are in the frontlines. The strategy is
as strange to us as marching around a walled city must have been in the days of
Joshua, or bathing in the Jordan river in the days of Naaman. Well, are we willing
to walk by faith? Today, you and I may be challenged unfairly. Why would
we trust Jesus for our eternal salvation and not trust Him for the
current skirmish we are facing?

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Heavenly Father, it is difficult to believe that You would want me to be submissive
to people who may be wrong. Surely You want me to be forceful in defending truth.
Help me to understand what it is that You mean when You ask those who follow
You to obey masters and rulers, even when we are acting justly and being punished
in the process. How can ‘right’ win the battle when it does not assert itself? Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.